The regular Thought for the Day presenter Giles Fraser recently caused a storm of controversy where he attacked the allegedly ‘self-centred’ character of the modern wedding. He pointed out that modern weddings are now outlandishly expensive, not only for the (hopefully!!) happy couple, but for the guests as well. He was particularly scathing of the “my special day” and “little princess” mentality of many brides who seem to be devoid of any sense that a marriage is about placing your hearts and lives into the hands of another. Marriage, he reminded us, is a ‘sacrament’, an outward sign of the graciousness that God enacts within us.
Happily, this has not been my experience so far at Berkswell, although it has been in some of the other contexts within which I have ministered. However, even here at Berkswell, I am surprised at how many couples book their wedding reception venues before they get around to booking the church. Couples seem to assume that the Church will somehow “fit in” around the really important business of the couple having somewhere to have a jolly good party. I am not knocking good parties, but this order of priorities, in my view, is to have things back-to-front.
Marriage, as Giles Fraser reminds us, is a solemn and morally serious business. Whenever I publish the banns of marriage on Sunday mornings, I pray that the couple will have the inner freedom to commit themselves wholeheartedly to each other and that they will enjoy an enduring and satisfying relationship. The marriage service itself is remarkably short for such an important occasion. But this should not surprise us. It solemnises what is hopefully already, namely a true relationship that will, with God’s grace, grow from strength to strength, whatever challenges come the couple’s way.
Friday 20 August 2010
Friday 6 August 2010
Be Ye Ever So High the Law is Above You!
A constitutional revolution quietly took place last August . The Judicial Committee of the House of Lords (also known as the ‘Law Lords’) left the neo-gothic corridors of the Houses of Parliament to take up residence in the new Supreme Court located just across Parliament Square, in the refurbished Middlesex Guildhall. Some legal commentators are concerned that this ‘separation of powers’ will lead to an unhelpfully adversarial relationship between the government and the courts. Others are more sanguine. They believe that it will promote a more independent and robust judiciary.
As a young barrister, I regularly met the great judge, Lord Denning, who was fond of quoting his distinguished predecessor Lord Coke, Lord Chancellor under James I: ‘Be ye ever so high, the law is above you’. Equality before the law is a key principle of the English legal system. In theory at least, the rich and the powerful are as subject to the law as are the weak and the vulnerable. Fairness is another key principle, as the very recent death of that doughty campaigner against ‘rough justice’, the late Sir Ludovic Kennedy, repeatedly reminded us. The development of the English legal system is really the story of how the powers of the king and the ruling elite were gradually made subject to the rule of law.
The English legal system has deep roots in the biblical tradition. The concern for justice and the welfare of the vulnerable and marginalised is a major theme in the writings of the so-called “eighth century prophets” , such as the prophet Amos who was active in the northern kingdom of Israel in the 8th century B.C. Amos was a passionate critic of those who manipulated the legal system in order to achieve their own selfish ends through corruption and thwarting of the due processes of law. This subversion of justice was a travesty, not just because such behaviour was wrong in itself, but also because God had called Israel into being in order to embody and exemplify God’s own justice.
A good system of justice recognises that all human beings are of equal moral and political worth. A poor system of justice leaves the weak at the mercy of the strong, and our own legal system falls short to the extent that delay and cost deny justice to weak and poor. The language of human rights developed in response to the Nazi savagery against minorities and the vulnerable during the Second World War which began 70 years ago. Even if we think this language is currently being abused or taken too far, it is meant to affirm that all humans have a dignity and worth above and beyond the ordinary scale of human values.
As a young barrister, I regularly met the great judge, Lord Denning, who was fond of quoting his distinguished predecessor Lord Coke, Lord Chancellor under James I: ‘Be ye ever so high, the law is above you’. Equality before the law is a key principle of the English legal system. In theory at least, the rich and the powerful are as subject to the law as are the weak and the vulnerable. Fairness is another key principle, as the very recent death of that doughty campaigner against ‘rough justice’, the late Sir Ludovic Kennedy, repeatedly reminded us. The development of the English legal system is really the story of how the powers of the king and the ruling elite were gradually made subject to the rule of law.
The English legal system has deep roots in the biblical tradition. The concern for justice and the welfare of the vulnerable and marginalised is a major theme in the writings of the so-called “eighth century prophets” , such as the prophet Amos who was active in the northern kingdom of Israel in the 8th century B.C. Amos was a passionate critic of those who manipulated the legal system in order to achieve their own selfish ends through corruption and thwarting of the due processes of law. This subversion of justice was a travesty, not just because such behaviour was wrong in itself, but also because God had called Israel into being in order to embody and exemplify God’s own justice.
A good system of justice recognises that all human beings are of equal moral and political worth. A poor system of justice leaves the weak at the mercy of the strong, and our own legal system falls short to the extent that delay and cost deny justice to weak and poor. The language of human rights developed in response to the Nazi savagery against minorities and the vulnerable during the Second World War which began 70 years ago. Even if we think this language is currently being abused or taken too far, it is meant to affirm that all humans have a dignity and worth above and beyond the ordinary scale of human values.
Sunday 1 August 2010
Can you stand (for) Synod?
This is my very first blog entry ever, so here goes.
I think I am going to stand for the General Synod of the Church of England again. The General Synod has been described as the Church of England's 'parliament'. This is largely because it is the Church's decision-making and law-making body, although the structure of authority in the Church is somewhat different from the structure of authority that characterises our political system. The General Synod is divided into three 'Houses': the House of Bishops, the House of Clergy and House of Laity. The House of Bishops is largely unelected. The diocesan bishops are automatically members, but seven suffragan bishops are elected by all the other suffragan bishops to represent them. The Houses of Clergy and Laity are made up of elected members. I will stand for election as one of three 'Proctors in Convocation' to represent the Coventry Diocese in General Synod. The word 'Proctor' is an archaic word that has different meanings in law, the church and education. In the church it means someone who represents the clergy in Church of England Diocese. Each 'Synod' lasts for a fixed five year term called a 'quinquennium' which is divided up into 'Sessions' which usually take placy twice a year in February (London) and July (York) and occasionally in November (e.g. the inaugural Synod and when pressure of business demands an extra Sessions).
I liked being a member of the last Synod. Although there is dull legislative work to consider (although as a former practising lawyer I don't find it that dull), there are also interesting, various and important subjects to debate (developments in human genome science, whether women can become bishops, whether the Church of England is investing ethically, whether the BBC is scaling down its religious broadcasting). The standard of debate is usually very high and it is fascinating to discover the wonderful things going on at 'grass roots' parish level in other parts of the country. I would warmly encourage anyone who is thinking about standing for election to set about doing so. The Synod's work is important work and some of the decisions it makes does actually change lives.
Clergy representatives are elected by the licensed clergy in the diocese in which they themselves are licensed. Lay representatives must be lay persons who are actual communicants of the Church of England over the age of 18 who are on the electoral roll of any parish of the diocese. If you would like further information, contact your diocesan office, and they will put you in contact with your dioceses' presiding officer.
I think I am going to stand for the General Synod of the Church of England again. The General Synod has been described as the Church of England's 'parliament'. This is largely because it is the Church's decision-making and law-making body, although the structure of authority in the Church is somewhat different from the structure of authority that characterises our political system. The General Synod is divided into three 'Houses': the House of Bishops, the House of Clergy and House of Laity. The House of Bishops is largely unelected. The diocesan bishops are automatically members, but seven suffragan bishops are elected by all the other suffragan bishops to represent them. The Houses of Clergy and Laity are made up of elected members. I will stand for election as one of three 'Proctors in Convocation' to represent the Coventry Diocese in General Synod. The word 'Proctor' is an archaic word that has different meanings in law, the church and education. In the church it means someone who represents the clergy in Church of England Diocese. Each 'Synod' lasts for a fixed five year term called a 'quinquennium' which is divided up into 'Sessions' which usually take placy twice a year in February (London) and July (York) and occasionally in November (e.g. the inaugural Synod and when pressure of business demands an extra Sessions).
I liked being a member of the last Synod. Although there is dull legislative work to consider (although as a former practising lawyer I don't find it that dull), there are also interesting, various and important subjects to debate (developments in human genome science, whether women can become bishops, whether the Church of England is investing ethically, whether the BBC is scaling down its religious broadcasting). The standard of debate is usually very high and it is fascinating to discover the wonderful things going on at 'grass roots' parish level in other parts of the country. I would warmly encourage anyone who is thinking about standing for election to set about doing so. The Synod's work is important work and some of the decisions it makes does actually change lives.
Clergy representatives are elected by the licensed clergy in the diocese in which they themselves are licensed. Lay representatives must be lay persons who are actual communicants of the Church of England over the age of 18 who are on the electoral roll of any parish of the diocese. If you would like further information, contact your diocesan office, and they will put you in contact with your dioceses' presiding officer.
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